President Trump announced plans to expedite the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and warned Russia that failure to agree to a peace deal within 50 days would result in new sanctions.
During a meeting in the Oval Office with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump stated that the weapons would be "quickly distributed to the battlefield." He also mentioned the possibility of imposing secondary sanctions on countries that engage in trade with Russia.
Expressing disappointment in President Putin, Trump remarked that he expected a deal to be reached two months ago but noted that progress has stalled. He emphasized, "I hope we don’t have to do it," referring to the potential sanctions.
While Trump has avoided directly accusing Putin of prolonging the conflict, he asserted that he does not believe he is being manipulated by the Russian leader. He highlighted the ongoing attacks from Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, despite ongoing peace negotiations.
Trump described his interactions with Putin as "pleasant," yet pointed out the contradiction of missile strikes occurring during the night. He criticized Putin for repeatedly backing out of agreements aimed at ending the war, stating, "He’s fooled a lot of people," including several past U.S. presidents.
Following their meeting, Trump confirmed that a deal had been finalized regarding the sale of Patriot air defense missiles to NATO allies, who would then supply them to Ukraine. He stated, "We’ll send them a lot of weapons of all kinds," adding that the allies would cover the costs.
Despite his threats to impose sanctions on Russia for its escalating military actions in Ukraine, Trump has yet to take significant action. Proposed sanctions targeting Russia's energy sector could have a more substantial impact than tariffs on the limited goods exported from Russia to the U.S.
While Trump mentioned the possibility of secondary tariffs, White House officials later clarified that secondary sanctions targeting countries conducting financial transactions with Russia were also under consideration. This announcement comes amid increasing pressure from congressional lawmakers and European leaders for harsher economic penalties against Russia.
Since taking office, Trump has sought to utilize his relationship with Putin to negotiate an end to the conflict, a goal he previously claimed could be achieved within 24 hours, though no resolution has been reached.